Following their cinematic comeback of 2007, which was met by much yawning and critical indifference but relative commercial success, an Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas sequel (or, Squeakquel) was a no brainer. The same could be said about the inclusion in the latter of their female counterparts, The Chirpettes, which to be sure appear in the film as their rivals in a high school competition, which they take part in despite being global superstars.

As one could easily predict, the film has little to offer besides irresistibly cute squeaky voices: even then, the gimmick wears out fast with nothing of any substance, such as a plot, to support it adequately. While it must be said that the live action/animation mix is appropriately good, there’s no reason to get to overly excited about it, especially when one thinks of what the outcome might have been had the technical aspect of the movie not been adequately looked at.

It’s interesting to note the talent involved in the film; Jason Lee’s role as the surrogate father figure of Alvin and the Chipmunks is shortened considerably, band the Chirpettes’ voices include Amy Poehler and Christina Applegate. – 1/5